Flood Rising
by arbiter vortex
Summary: UNSC Infinite Dawn found a covie storage yard with interesting cargo. But, when that cargo attacks them, their ship crashes, leaving them stranded.
1. Episode One: Covies Attack

Author: Welcome, readers, to Flood Rising. Now let me give you your set-up. The UNSC frigate Infinite Dawn is exploring Requiem. They are attacked by the Covenant, and find something that had almost destroyed mankind, and plans to do it again. And, I've made a map series for this fanfiction on Halo 4. Also, this takes place between Halo 4 and 5. Without further ado, this is, Flood Rising.

Episode 1

"Fire Teams Anaconda, Jaguar, Leopard, and Vortex, report to War Games simulator!" The commanders voice rand through Infinite Dawn's corridors.

"That's right now?" said Kate of Vortex Fire team.

She and the rest of her fire team were sitting in the hanger. Adam was spray painting a blood splat on his Assault Rifle, Jake was using a Tac-pad, and the leader of Vortex team, Michael, was telling the rest of the team to get going.

"Yes it is now Kate, now let's go!" He said.

The team grabbed their things and headed for the War Games simulator. When they arrived, Commander Jamison was waiting.

"Good, Vortex and Leopard teams are here." he said.

"Commander, what's the game line-up today?" Marcus from Leopard team asked.

Jamison looked at his tac-pad, "Slayer and Dominion."

At that, Anaconda team came in. It wasn't until five minutes later that Jaguar team came in.

"Where've you been Jaguar?" Jamison said.

"Late commander, won't happen again" Jaguar leader said.

"Alright, we can begin the simulation."

The four teams entered the simulation. They played two games of Slayer, Jaguar winning one, and Anaconda winning the other. Then they played two games of Dominion, Vortex winning both. But, when they came out of the War Games, something was wrong.

"All fire teams, report to hanger! Covenant attack!" Commander Jamison's voice rand out.

All four teams looked at each other and the Spartans put their helmets on.

"Why did no one stop the simulation?!" Jake said as they ran to the hanger.

When they arrived, the elites were ripping through the marines. One elite was overriding the terminal that controlled hanger defenses. Kate ran across the catwalk to the elite and tried to shove her knife into his back. She reached him, but the elite already hacked the controls as she stabbed him. The two turrets turned blue and began to shoot at the marines and Spartans. Kate tried to take the defenses back, but the elite locked the terminal.

"Jake!" Kate yelled, "The terminal is locked!"

"I got it!" Jake yelled back.

He ran up the catwalk, and worked on the terminal. Three elites ran up the catwalk on the opposite catwalk to stop Jake. Adam and Kate shot at them while Michael seemed to be wrestling with a zealot. Kate shot one elite with her DMR and Adam stabbed another. The last pinned Adam to the ground. Kate tackled the elite and snapped his neck.

"You ok?" Kate asked, helping him up.

"Good." Adam said, putting a new mag in his assault rifle.

"Got it!" Jake said.

Then, all the turrets and base stripes turned red.

"Good! Now Commander Jamison just said they're attacking the bridges!" Michael said.

"Let's go!" Kate yelled.

As they walked through the door, Jake turned around.

"Your guys got the hanger covered?" he asked fire team Amber.

"Got it." said Amber's leader.

"Good." Jake replied.

Then, Vortex team headed through the door and to the bridge. But first, they'd have to get through the rec area. When they got in, they saw three teams of ten grunts and two elites. The covies were fighting Leopard team.

"We could use some help Vortex!" said Leopard leader.

"Adam, Jake! Help Leopard! Me and Kate will get the bridge." Michael told the rest of Vortex.

Adam and Jake nodded while Michael and Kate moved further down the ship. They fought through many elites and grunts but when they walked through a door they got a message from Jamison on the radio.

'Vortex Team, are you near the door to the bridge?'

"Right outside it sir!" Michael said.

'Good! Look behind you!' Jamison said.

Michael and Kate turned around and only saw a holotable.

"What?" Kate asked.

'Above the door to the rec area.'

They looked and saw a turret mount with guns on both sides.

"We see it sir! Kate, those guns will keep this area locked down!" Michael told Kate.

"I'll get it!" Kate said.

She ran over to the turret controls, and turned it on. The two turrets unfolded and scanned the area.

"Let's get to the bridge!' Kate said.

The two ran into the bridge to find Jamison and the captain fighting a General Elite. Jamison shot it in the face with a magnum multiple times and dropped the elite's shields. Kate threw her knife at his back and he turned around. Michael capped him in the head to finally kill him.

"Ok Captain?" Michael asked.

The captain stood up and looked at the main terminal.

"Well, they hacked the main terminal." Captain Merveygo said.

"It's fine Captain. Jake is a computer whiz. He decoded the covenant lock on the hanger terminal. He'll get this unlocked." Michael said.

"Well, once we get the ship back in our control, the scanners picked up a the covies' base." Jamison said.

Jake finally got the terminal unlocked and the Spartan teams relaxed in the briefing room. Commander Jamison brought up a hologram on the holotable of the covies' storage base that they found.

"They're guarding the cargo that they have there. Heavily. Whatever they have there, is dangerous to mankind, or it could be helpful. So, we could take it. And we will. So, fire teams that are going in: Anaconda, King, Snow, and Vortex." Jamison explained, "So, those fire teams, get your armor on and head to the dropships."

Michael got his red and black armor on while everyone else's was still on the racks. Kate got her white and black armor on, while the green and grey and blue and white armor was still on the racks.

"Where's Adam and Jake?" Kate asked.

"They better be here soon." Michael said.

Five minutes later, after Jamison's voice rang out saying "Dropships deploying, ten minutes!", Adam and Jake arrived and got their suits on.

"About time you got here!" Michael said.

"A stupid group of marines were messing with the covie weapons. Two shot their eye out. We wheeled them to medbay." Adam explained.

"Let's just get in the pelican." Kate said.

The team got into the pelican with the Vortex Team symbol on it and sat on the benches. The pelican activated it's thrusters and Vortex, King, Snow, and Anaconda teams headed for the storage base.

Author: So, that's Episode One. Now, I said there's a map series that I made for this story on Halo 4. PM me if you want to see them. Until Episode Two, Arbiter out.


	2. Episode Two: Containment

Author: Welcome to Episode 2 of Flood Rising. Now, I like you to imagine the surroundings. So, Episode 2 takes place on the map Halo 4, Impact, on the island with the laboratory. So, keep that in mind. To the episode!

The pelican slowly came to hovering stop. Adam looked out the ramp as it opened. They were right above a laboratory.

"Isn't this one of our stations?" Jake asked.

Jamison's voice came on their helmet mics.

"Yes, but the covies took over it last week."

"We didn't get word till now?" Kate asked.

"They sent in Spec Ops Assassin Elites and killed everyone." Jamison replied.

"Wouldn't they've sent in a distress signal?" Michael said.

"They jammed the signal. Then they started digging. Whatever they found, it's important." Jamison replied once more.

"Alright Vortex, let's do this!" Michael said, cocking his shotgun.

"Jake, you have the extraction beacon?" Adam asked.

"Got it!" Jake said, strapping the beacon to his armor hook.

The team jumped out of the pelican onto the roof of the lab. A pile of sandbags sat on one of the edges of the roof with a sniper resting on it. Adam grabbed it and looked around. The marines and other fire teams were fighting the covenant around the large meteor. Vortex team was the team set to extract the targets. The first was inside the lab. Around the meteor was a UNSC base, piles of dug up rocks, and a tower surrounded by large container crates. Vortex team jumped down the lab, flaring up the shields. Adam stayed on top the lab to snipe. Michael, Kate, and Jake, stayed behind a wall until their shields reached full. They recharged and the three moved through the door to the lab. A pile of crates was waiting next to the core.

"Jake! Plant the beacon!" Michael said, as he and Kate shot at two teams of grunts and elites.

Jake ran to the pile and marked the crates. Then, he placed the extraction beacon. It opened and began to flash.

"Sixty seconds!" Jake yelled.

Kate stabbed a grunt in the head and shot an elite with her assault rifle. Michael threw a grenade out the door and activated the shield door.

"That should keep them out." Michael said.

"How long now Jake?" Kate asked.

"Ten seconds." Jake replied.

After ten seconds, the crates turned blue, and were whisked away by electrical beams.

"First batch acquired! Three left!" Jamison said on the comms.

"Adam, do you see another pile?" Kate said into her comm.

"The UNSC base on the edge of the meteor." Adam said, "I see crates in a small room. Be careful, there's elite generals inside. I'll try to provide cover."

"Got it." Kate finished.

Michael, Jake, and Kate ran out of the lab and to the base. A general ran out, but was shot by Adam, still atop the lab. The three walk into the building and into a small room full of more crates. Jake planted another beacon and marked the crates.

"Another sixty seconds!" Jake said.

Kate and Michael were already firing at three generals.

"Jake? Why don't you take a split lip?" Michael yelled.

"Sure." Jake replied.

Jake joined the fight. The three took down the elites, just as the crates extracted.

"Second batch received!" Jamison said.

Just then, a turret activated.

"How are they hacking all our equipment?" Kate asked.

"It's fine! Just blow it up and stay away from the purple turret holograms!" Jake yelled over the gunfire.

the three then ran to a marker Adam placed on their HUD. He said that's were the next target is. They hacked a double-turret and easily extracted the third pile. The fourth was hardest however. When they got to it, Adam jumped down the lab.

"Under the lab." He said.

"And how would we get down there?" Michael said.

"Teleporter on the other side of the lab." Adam replied.

The team walked to the teleporter and entered. They reappeared under the floor cap, in a circular mine with a large rock in it.

"Jake place the beacon." Michael ordered.

Kate activated her comms and ordered an airstrike.

"Fire missiles around center building." Kate said.

"Rodger, standby for Hellcloud storm. All teams, danger close." The operator said.

After ten seconds, the ground shook.

"That takes care of the leftover covies." Kate murmured.

"Think the marines and other Spartans got out of the blast zone?" Adam asked.

"The operator did say danger close." Michael replied.

The beacon finished extracting and Jamison said that all targets have been extracted. Vortex team began to head back to the teleporter when Kate looked at the large rock in the center of the room.

"Wait, isn't this a flood dispersal pod?" Kate asked.

"A what?" Adam said.

"Flood dispersal pod. The flood were transported from hives in them. Don't you guys read?" Kate told them, "Master Chief destroyed the flood in the Milky Way, but why would one be underground here?"

"Who cares?" Jake asked.

"Well, just suspicious. There are tubes coming out of it." Kate continued.

"Come one Kate, the pelican is waiting." Michael urged.

Kate followed the rest of Vortex out and stepped onto the jump pad and she was pushed to the top. Kate jumped into the pelican and Vortex returned to Infinite Dawn.

Author: And there it is. The reveal. And I think you can understand how the flood will come. If not, it'll be explained soon. AGEN Vortex out!


	3. Episode 3: Flood Rise

Author: Episode 3 of Flood Rising! Here's the highlight: THE FLOOD RISES! Now, onto this episode.

"The humans have taken the containment modules, Shipmaster."

"They will unleash the parasite once more!"

"Sir, why did _we _need the parasite?"

"The flood takes memories from their victims. Those memories could've been of use."

"But now the humans have taken them, unknowing of what lies inside."

"Yes, and they are not going to believe us up front. If they see us, they shoot."

"Then they will die."

"But it will spread. We must destroy their ship before the parasite can move."

"I will rally a cruiser."

"Is it unlocked yet?" Jamison asked, "I want to see what the covies are planning."

"This is a forerunner code lock." Dr. Frankston said.

"And?" Adam muttered.

"It is very complex. Over 200 symbols. A six digit passcode as well. There are millions of combinations!" Frankston replied.

"Can't you just hack it?" Jake asked.

Adam, Jake, and Jamison were in the cargo bay with Dr. Frankston. They were trying to unlock the crates using a tac-pad that was with them.

"Hack a forerunner device?" Frankston puzzled.

"I hacked the covie locks." Jake replied, "Wasn't hard."

"Or we could just look here." Adam said.

He was looking at battle pictures. He zoomed in on an elite's wristplate. It had six forerunner symbols carved into it.

"Looks like someone's forgetful." Jamison said, "Doctor?"

"Already on it." Frankston.

He entered the symbols and press the icon in the corner of the screen. The crates flashed green and opened slightly. All crates preformed this action. Frankston opened a small crate and looked inside.

"What is thi-" Frankston began, then was attacked by a brownish spiderlike creature.

It burrowed into his chest and began to mutate his body. He grew lumps around his body and large claws on his forearm. Then his head cracked to the side. Jamison, Jake, and Adam drew their pistols and aimed them at Frankston.

"Commander. What in Christ's name happened to Frankston?" Jake asked.

"The Flood." Jamison replied.

"Fire?" Adam said.

What was Frankston picked up a nearby rifle and began to fire on the Spartans. Without their helmets, they'd have no shields, which means a quick death.

"I'm going to guess yes." Adam answered himself.

The three opened fire on Frankston, making his body drop to the floor. Jamison grabbed his helmet, put it on and activated comms.

"Cmdr Jamison to Bridge!"

"Yes commander?" the Captain said.

"The crates were full of Flood! Evacuate the ship!"

"Flood? By God, I thought Chief obliterated them!"

"Evacuate the ship!"

"I'm not leaving my ship to these abominations!"

"YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE!"

Then, more flood infectors began to crawl out of the crates. The larger crates opened as well, revealing dormant pure flood. They awakened and attacked.

"Jake, Adam, rally with the rest of your team. Get to your pelican now!" Jamison ordered.

"What about you?" Jake asked as the two grabbed their guns.

"I'm going to get to the bridge." Jamison replied.

Nearby marines began to fire on the Flood, but most were infected. Jake and Adam ran to the door and entered the soldier dorms. Adam rapped on Kate's door, while Jake banged on Michael's.

"What?" They both said as they both opened their doors.

"EVACTUATE EVACUATE! FLOOD IS ON BOARD! CAPTAIN HAS ORDERED AND EVACUATION! ALL TEAMS TO THEIR DESIGNATED DROPSHIPS!"

"That." Jake said.

"I told you!" Kate said.

"Not now Kate!" Adam said, grabbing her Spartan suit off the rack in her room.

Michael and Kate suited up quickly and took weapons that Jake and Adam brought. Vortex team hurried to the pelican bay when they heard Leopard team.

"Help! Vortex over here!" a man from Leopard Team yelled.

They were being attacked by pure flood. Vortex helped shoot them down and continued to pelican bay.

"Did you see one of those flood?" Kate asked.

"What about it?" Michael replied.

"It was a Spartan! I thought they couldn't infect us!" Kate yelled.

"No one ever said they couldn't." Jake replied.

They reached the bay just as the other pelicans left. Vortex team hurried into theirs.

"Jamison? Jamison!" Michael said into his comms.

"He went to the bridge." Adam said.

"I hope he makes it out." Kate murmured.

They got into seats and the pilot took off.

Just as they left the bay of the Infinite Dawn, Jamison spoke on the mic."

"Get as far as you can from the ship! Leave! Go! The Flood is taking over the guns! The bridge is locked down. We are fine."

Just then, the Infinite Dawn's guns began firing on pelicans. And if they didn't have enough problems, a covie cruiser was approaching in the distance. Vortex's pelican was then hit by on of the Dawn's guns.

"Spartans?" the Pilot shouted, "I'm going to try and land it on Requiem! Brace yourselves, it's a crash landing!"

The pelican went straight down to the planet below. Just as the reached atmosphere, Vortex team saw Infinite Dawn get blown in half. The end of the ship containing the bridge raced toward the ground. After two minutes the pelican came in contact with the ground.

The Flood has returned.

Author: I know this one was short, but if you saw the Halo 4 map I made for this episode, you'd see it is VERY short. Anyway, the next episode will take place on the map Ragnorock. Arbiter out.


	4. Episode 4: Crash Landing

Author: THE FLOOD RISES! And there is the point of the story. Now we get into one of my favorite parts. We take our story to Requiem.

(This episode takes place on the map Ragnarock. It will begin next to the crashed pelican on the map. See how I fit that in?)

Michael stood up and looked around. Debris from Infinite Dawn was scattered around the ground. The rest of Vortex team was still out. Michael looked around for the bridge that he saw fall into Requiem. He used his helmet's zoom and looked around the valley. He knew they were in a UNSC base since he saw crates and weapon canisters scattered in the two large towers. He exited the zoom and looked around the pelican wreckage. Their were guns scattered on the ground and vehicles from the Dawn. Just then, Kate, Jake, and Adam woke up.

"Everyone okay?" Adam asked.

"Fine." Jake and Kate replied.

"Is the pilot okay?" Michael asked.

Jake walked into the cockpit and looked at the pilot. He had a metal stake through his chest.

"Um, no. Definitely not." Jake said, then shut the pilot's eyes.

Adam then looked in the distance.

"Uh oh." he said.

"What?" Kate asked.

Adam pointed to a pile of crates on the other end of the valley. They were the same exact crates from the Dawn that housed the flood. Flood combat forms scattered around valley got up. Vortex team picked up weapons from the ground and got into a vehicle. Adam and Kate got on a mongoose with Kate shooting, while Jake got on the gun of a crashed warthog with Michael at the wheel.

"How do we get out of this canyon?" Jake yelled.

"Look for a tunnel!" Adam relied.

Flood chased behind their vehicles. Jake and Kate shot at them, trying to save the team.

"Wait do you see that?" Adam asked.

"What?" Michael yelled.

"Look!" Kate pointed.

In the distance, above the beach, a pelican was flying into the valley. It opened fire on the flood and followed Vortex team around the canyon until all flood were dead.

Afterwards, it landed. The ramp opened revealing Anaconda team.

"Thank god for you guys." Jake said.

The leader of Anaconda team, Aaron, stepped out and spoke.

"Saw your signal, came to see if you're alright." he glanced at their pelican on the other end of the valley, "I see you needed it."

Then only one other person came out, showing only three people in Anaconda, even through the day before there was five.

"What happened to the rest of your team?" Michael asked.

"Three of us were infected and we had to, well, put them down." Aaron said.

A girl in yellow armor had a very sad face though.

"One of which would be Amanda's brother." Aaron explained.

"Who's that?" Kate asked.

"Our pilot." Amanda said.

"So what happened to you guys after you left Infinite Dawn?" Jake said.

"We saw the bridge fall into the planet and then we saw you're pelican go down as well." Aaron explained.

"And did you see where the bridge landed?" Jake asked.

"We saw smoke coming from a ravine south of here." The Anaconda pilot, Tom, said.

"Well, we'll take the vehicles, you take the pelican. Use the laser to blow the rocks off the beach." Michael said.

Anaconda team got back into the pelican and fired on a rock wall at the beach. Vortex drove onto the beach after the rocks were cleared. Once they reached the edge of the plateau creating the valley, they saw the smoke.

"Yeah, that's definitely the Dawn." Adam said into the radio.

Around a corner was a tunnel. Vortex looked above the tunnel, the smoke emanated behind it.

"We'll take the tunnel, you guy's fly over the plateau." Michael said.

"Rodger." Tom said, then the pelican flew out of sight.

Vortex entered the tunnel, looking at the forerunner technology lining the walls. But, as they neared the end of the tunnel, their helmets notified them of a radio channel being picked up:

Radio Channel: Command, Found

"It's the Dawn!" Kate said.

They all tuned to that channel.

"Mayday, mayday! This is the UNSC Infinite Dawn, can anyone here us?" Jamison's voce said into the mic, "We are being attacked by pirates!"

"Pirates?" Jake asked.

"Probably saw the Dawn go down and went to salvage what was left." Michael replied.

Vortex exited the tunnel and the first thing they saw was the bridge.

Author: Yes, these last couple were short, but on Halo 4, they were Flood Gametype maps. So, not much I can write. The next few will be longer. I'm going to stop at Episode 7. Episode 7's map isn't done so I don't know what to put for Episode 8. Until next time, Arbiter out!


End file.
